Automatic sheet-feeding machine



Aug. 10 1926i 1,595,780 w. F.. HEBRANK I AUTOMATIC SHEET FEEDING MACHINE Filed Jan. '2 1923 4 Sheets Sheat' l Q Inventor Wm Fffebrank .w I y Aug. 10 1926.

VV. .F. HEBRANK AUTOMATIC SHEET FEEDING MACHINE Filed Jan. 20, 1923 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Iz'zvezztor Wm FJ-lbvank Aug. 10 1926. 1,595,780

W. F. HEBRANK AUTOMATIC SHEET FEEDING MACHINE Filed Jan. 20 1923 4 Sheets Sheet 3 Att Aug. 10 1926. 1,595,780

w. F. HEBRANK AUTOMATIC SHEET FEEDING MACHINE Filed Jan. 29, 1923 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 fzzvezztbr Wm Ef i'ebranlc Patented Aug. 10, 1926.

UNITED stares WILLIAM F. HEBRANK, OF HIGHLAND, ILLINOIS.

AUTOMATIC SHEET-FEEDING IVEACHINE.

Application filed January 20, 1923.

This invention relates to in sheet metal feeding; and slitting machines for slitting or cutting can bodies from metallic sheets and pertains more particu larly to an improved feeding mechanism, in which each sheet is fed from the under side of a pile of sheets.

Another object of the invention is in providing an improved vacuum gripping device for disengaging the lowermost metallic sheet from the pile of shee s.

A further object of the invention is in providing unimproved automatic cut off for the vacuum gripping device. I

A still further obieot of the invention is in providing improved feechng means which are co-operable with the vacuum gripping means.

Other and further objects will appear in the specificationand be specifically pointed out in theappended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, exemplifving the invention, and in which Figure 1 is a plan view of this improved machine.

. Figure 2 is an end elevation of. Fig. 1 taken in the direction of the arrow 2 in Fin. 1.

Figure Sis a side elevation of F ig. l taken the direction of the arrow 3 in Fig. 2. F igure .4 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal vertical section taken approximately on theline IV-JV of F ig. 1.

Figure 5-is an enlarged side elevation of the cut off mechanism used in connection with the vacuum grip.

Figure 6 is an enlarged-ho izontal section taken on the line VIVIof Fig. 5.

Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawings, 1 designates a base having upwardly extending side portions 2 and 3 which extend upwardly so as to provide bearing supports for a pair of horizontally extending shafts 4L and 5, the shaft 4 having a plurality of cutting rollers 6 rigidly secured thereto each bearing a cutting edge 7, whereasthe shaft 5 is provided with aplurality of rollers '8 each bearing a cutting edge .9.

The lower arranged shaft 5 shaft and is. provided with a driving pulley 10 and securely mounted on said shaft is a drive pinion 11 in imesh with a pinion 12 which is rigidly. secured to one end of the upper arranged shaft 4:, and .in mesh with the pinion 11 .is a pinion 13, said pinion 13 an improvement is the driving 1112' said Serial No. 613,908.

being securely mounted to' a shaft 14 which is horizontally supported in bearings 15 and 16 which are formed or extended from the upwardly extending portion 2, said shaft 14: also having a crank 17 rigidly mounted thereon.

The base 1 is provid d with a horizontally extending table portion 18 and formed in the surface of said table are a pair of spaced apart grooves 19, said grooves being arranged at right angles to the shafts 4 and 5 and mounted in each of said grooves is a slidable block 20 and depending from each of said blocks 20 are a pair of lugs2l and connected at 22 to each of said pairs of lugs is one end of a connecting rod 23, the opposite end of each of said iods 23 being secured at 24 to the upper end. of a respective throw arm The throw arms 25 are rigidly secured to a horizontally arranged rock shaft 26 which is supported in bearings 27, and rigidly secured to said rock shaft 26 is a throw arm 28 and connected at 29 to said arm 28 is a connecting rod 30, the opposite end of said rod being secured at 31 to the crank 17.

epended from the under side of the table portion 18 is a pair of vertically arranged cylinders 32, depending from each of said cylinders is an arm 38 having a bearing 34. formed at its lower end, and de pended from one side of said table portion is a bracket 35 having a bearing 36 formed at its lower end, said beaiings and 36 being for the support of a horizontally extending shaft 37.

eciprocal within each cylinder 32 is an air nozzle 38, each nozzle having an air passageway 39 formed therein and connectnozzles at their lower ends is a horizontally extending pipe or two 40, said pipe having a pair of connections 4-1 which. Zcgmmunicate with respective passageways Rigidly secured to the shaft 37 adjacent each bearing 34 is an eccentric L2, and mounted on each of said eccentrics is an eccentric strap 43, each strap at its upper extending end being secured to a rod 40 which ties the pair of noazles 38 together.

An air cutting off mechanism 44- is associatcdwith. the shaft 37 and the air nozzles 38, said mechanism being comprised of a pair of closure members 45 and a6 said members being held resiliently together by a plurality of cap screws 47, said cap screws ilO each having their threaded ends 18 mounted in the member to whereas the heads 19 of said cap screws are each mounted in a respective counter-bore 50, each counter'bore containing a coil spring 51 whichbears against the under side of each cap screw head and against the member -16. The memhere 45 and 16 are held in a stationary position by an arm 52 which is secured to the member and the bracket whereas a cutting off plate 53 is rotatably mounted within and between the closure members 15 and 416, said plate 53 having a hub 54 extending from one side thereof through the centrally arranged opening 55 which is formed in the member 16, said hub of said plate 53 being rigidly secured to the shaft 37, said shaft extending through the center bore 56 of the member 45 and is turnable therein.

The plate 53 is provided with an arcuate slot 57 which extends approximately 180 degrees (as shown more clearly in Fig. 5), said slot adapted to communicate with respective openings 58 and 59 which are formed in the closure members 45 and 46 and connected with the opening 58 is the pipe line 60 which leads from the vacuum pump not shown, whereas a nipple 61 is connected with the opening 59 which provides communication to the. hose length 62, said hose length being connected to one end of the pipe 10 which connects the pair of nozzles 3S.

Rigidly secured to the shaft 37 adjacent the bracket 35 is a sprocket 63, and mounted on said sprocket is an endless chain-belt 64, said chain-belt extending over a driving sprocket 65 which is rigidly secured to the shaft 1 1.

Mounted on the table portion 18 at the feeding end thereof is a pair of rests or supports 66, said rests being arranged at right angles to the shafts 4e and 5, and paralleling said rests are a pair of rests 67, said rests 66 being arranged between the rests 67. The rests 67 are held a distance above the table portion 18, said rests 66 and 67 being horizontally extended and are for the support of a pile of metallic sheets 68 and for assisting the stacking of the pile of sheets 68 upon the rests, a series of vertically extending abutting legs 69 are provided.

Formed in the table portion 18 and between each pair of rests 66 and 67 is an opening 70, each opening being for the reception of a respective nozzle 38.

Extending upwardly from the table portion 18 is a pair of supports 71 and se cured to said supports is a cross member 72 and depended from said cross member is a pair of brackets 78 which are for the support of a cross member 74:, said cross member 2a in. turn supporting a pair of guiding runners 7 5, said runners 7 5 being held a distance above the surface of the table portion 2. Supported by the runners 75 is a holding-down-sheet 76 having an up turned end 77.

Supported from the cross member 2 is a pair of brackets 78 and swingingly secured to the depending portion of each bracket is a retaining finger 79 and depended from said cross member intermediate of its ends is a guiding finger 80.

Borne by each of the sliding blocks 20 is an inwardly extending portion 81 and secured to each extending portion is a book 82, said extending portions being secured to said blocks adjacent one end thereof and borne by each block at its opposite end is an adjustable shoe 88 and to each shoe is secured a swingable pushing finger 84:, each of said fingers being actuated by a leaf spring 85.

A longitudinally extending slot 86 is provided in the bottom of each of the grooves 19, each of said slots being for the purpose of permitting the pair of lugs 21 of each block 20 to extend therethrough and so that the connecting rod 23 can be respectively connected thereto and borne by one of the blocks 20 is an arm 87 bearing a vertically arranged roller 88, said roller adapted to co-operate with a lever 89 which is pivoted at 90 to the bracket 91, said bracket being supported on the table portion 18.

In the operation of this improved feeding and slitting machine, power is applied to the pulley 10 by a belt not shown, and the shaft bearing the cutting rollers 8 will cause the shaft t to be revolved by the meshing of the pinions 11 and 12, said shaft 1- bearing the cutting rollers 6 which co-open ate with the rollers 8.

Simultaneously with the operating of the shaft 4t and 5, the pinion 13 which is in mesh with the pinion 11 will revolve the shaft 1-1 and sprocket 65 mounted thereon, said shaft 14f swinging the crank 17 and operating the connection rod 30, and inasmuch as said rod 30 is connected at 29 to the arm 28, the shaft 26 will be rocked.

The rocking of the shaft 26 will cause the arms 25 mounted thereon to swing back and forth thereby reciprocating the respective blocks 20 which carry respective hooks S2 and pushing fingers 8 1, each of said blocks being reciprocally connected to a respective arm 25 by a connecting rod 23.

The sprocket 65 having the chain-belt 64 mounted thereover will cause the sprocket 63 to be revolved thereby operating the shaft 87 on which said sprocket 68 is mounted, the said shaft 37 reciprocating the pair of nozzles 38 by the manipulating of the eccentrics 12 which are mounted on said shaft.

While the machine is operating, a supply or pile of metallic sheets is maintained upon lit) ' the suction mouth 92 of connecting rods 23 thereb Y the rests 66 and 67, said sheet pile being kept in vertical assembly by adjacent edges thereof being abutted against the legs 69, and as the nozzles 38 are moved upwardly, each nozzle will abut and underengage the lowermost sheet 93, and simultaneously with the engagement of each of the suction mouths 92 with the lowermost sheet 93, a vacuum will be created l in the pipe line 60.

The creating of the Vacuum in the pipe line and pipe 40 is intermittently brought about by the cutting off mechanism 44, in which when the arcuate slot 57 of the revolving plate 53 is brought into position wherein it will provide a communicating passageway between the openings 58 and 59, a suction force will be created in the pipe 40. The suction force through the suction mouth 92 of each nozzle 38 will cause each mouth to firmly engage the lowermost sheet 93 thereby drawing portions 94 of said lowermost sheet downwardly, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4.

The mouths 92 of each nozzle 38 will continue to hold portions of the sheet 93 downwardly and on a plane beneath the hooks 82 as shown in Fig. 4 until the arcuate slot 57 of the plate 53 has been moved from the openings 58 and 59 of the pipe line 60, but during the holding down of the portions of the sheet 93 the blocks 20 will be moved forwardly by the forward swinging of the arms 25 and cause forward pulling of the engaging each hook 82 over the respective downwardly pulled portions 94. Immediately after engagement of the hooks 82 with the portions 94 of the sheet 93 the suction force will be out off from the pipe 40 by the plate 53, said hooks 82 then moving the sheet 93 forwardly on the rests 66 and 67 said sheet 93 being deflected beneath the pair of guiding runners and onto the table portion 18 and moved to the position indicated at A in Figs. 1 and 4 by the hooks 82 of the sliding blocks 20, the retaining fingers 7 9 dropping against the rear edge 95 of the. moved sheet.

The return movement of the blocks 20 is brought about by the rearwardly swinging of the arms 25 in which the hooks 82 of said blocks will be returned to their neutral positions and in which the fingers 84, one of which is carried by each block 20 will be swung to elevated positions by the springs 85 as they are withdrawn from beneath the sheet 93 in the position A, see Fig. 4.

Inasmuch as the plate 53 of the air cutting off mechanism 44 is continually rotating, after the hooks 82 of the blocks 20 return to neutral positions, the arcuate passageway 57 of the plate 53 will again communicate with the openings 58 and 59 of the pipe line 60, and prior thereto the eccentrics 42 will have again elevated the nozzles 38 wherein the suction mouths 92 will engage against the underside of the next in order lowermost sheet of the pile of sheets 68.

The suction force created in said mouths 92 will again cause said mouths to engage the next lowermost sheet and the eccentrics moved forwardly the suction force of the air line will again be cut on.

As the blocks 20 again move forwardly the fingers 84 of said blocks will engage the rear ed 'e 95 of the sheet in position A thereby pushing the previously moved sheet 93 forward simultaneous with the forward movement of the next sheet being acted upon by the far enough forward by the fingers 84 so that the front edge 96 will be engaged be tween the cutting edges 7 and 9 of the-respec-. tive rollers 6 and 8. I

Previous to the moved forward sheet being engaged by the rollers 6 and 8, the roller 88 carried by one of the blocks 20 engaged the cam portion 97 of the lever 89 thereby swinging said lever and causing the gaging portion 98 thereof to engage the right hand edge 99 of the moved sheet, thereby pushing said sheet sidewise and ad-' justing it slightly to the left so that the outer arranged pairs of cutting edges 7 and 9 designated as B can trim off both edges of the sheet.

The co-operation of the adjusting lever 89 with each sheet previous to each sheet being engaged between the slitting rollers-6 and 8, is so that the sheets or blanks at the time of their being made previous to being operated on by this improved machine, can be made a minimum length so that a minimum of waste is trimmed off by the outer pairs of cutting edges B.

In the adjusting of each of the sheets by the gaging portion 98 of the lever 99 as each sheet is being brought up to the rollers 6 and 8, apply just enough friction to the sheet so that each sheet when adjustingly moved by the lever 89 will retain itsadjusted position so that the opposing edges of the sheet can be simultaneously trimmed by the cutting edges B.

For preventing the center of each sheet from buckling too far upwardly during the feeding thereof beneath the runners 75, the guiding finger 80 which is borne by the cross member 72 is provided.

lVith the use of a pair of suction nozzles 38 in a machine of this improved character in which a pair of bends are provided in each lowermost .sheet as it is engaged by hooks 82, the sheet 93 being fed the holding-downsheet 76 will the suction mouths of said nozzles, the heretofore frequently drawing down of two sheets at a time by suction created between the lowermost sheet and thereabove is prevented.

In this connection where a single nozzle has been used or where only one bend has been made in a sheet or blank by the suction grasp, it quite frequently occurs that the sheet thereabove the drawn down or bended sheet is also pulled down with the lowermost sheet.

What I claim is 2-- 1. In a sheet feeding machine, the combination of means for supporting a pile of sheets, and a pair of spaced apart suction devices adapted to simultaneously flex intermediate portions of the lowermost sheet of the pile of sheets.

2. In a sheet feeding machine, the combination of means for supporting a pile of sheets, a pair of spaced apart suction devices adapted to simultaneously engage and flex intermediate portions of the lowermost sheet of the pile of sheets, and a rotary cutting off mechanism for controlling said suction devices.

3. In a sheet feeding machine, the combination of means for supporting a pile of sheets, and a pair of vertically reciprocal suction devices adapted to simultaneously engage and flex intermediate portions of the lowermost sheet of the pile of sheets.

at. In a sheet feeding machine, the combination of means for supporting a pile of sheets, a pair of spaced apart suction devices adapted to simultaneously operate on the lowermost sheet of the pile of sheets and provide a pair of interinediately disposed bended portions therein, and a reciprocal hooking member for engagement with respective bended portions of said sheet.

5. In a sheet feeding machine, the combination of means for supporting a pile of sheets, a pair of spaced apart suction devices adapted to simultaneously operate on the lowermost sheet of the pile of sheets and provide a pair of intermediately disposed bended portions therein, a reciprocal hooking member for engagement with respective bended portions of said sheet, and a retaining finger co-operable with each sheet after each sheet has been moved forward by said hooking member.

6. In a sheet feeding machine, the combination'of means for supporting a pile of sheets, a pair of spaced apart suction devices adapted to simultaneously engage and flex intermediate portions of the lowermost sheet of the pile of sheets, a rotary cutting off mechanism for controlling said suction devices, a pair of reciprocating blocks adapted to operate in unison, a hooking member borne by each of said blocks each adapted to engage respective bended portions created by each of said suction devices on each sheet engaged thereby, and a spring actuated pushing finger borne by each of said blocks adapted to engage each sheet after the hooking members of said blocks have become disengaged from each sheet.

7. In a feeding mechanism for a metallic sheet slitting machine, a pair of vertically reciprocal suction nozzles, means for supporting a pile of sheets above said nozzles, a shaft arranged beneath said nozzles, elevating means actuated by said shaft and cooperable with said nozzle, an air cutting elf mechanism operated by said shaft, and air communicating means leading from said cutting off mechanism to said nozzle.

8. In a metallic sheet slitting machine, the combination of a reciprocal suction nozzle, means for reciprocating said nozzle, an air entraining passageway leading from said nozzle, and a rotary cutting ofi mechanism active upon said air entraining passageway.

9. In a metallic sheet slitting machine, the combination of a reciprocal suction nozzle, a rotary shaft, means co-operable with said shaft and said nozzle for reciprocating said nozzle, an air entraining passageway leading from said nozzle, and an air cutting oil? device operated by said shaft and adapted to control said passageway.

WILLIAM F. HEBRANK. 

